Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds

by John Yearley

Late one night, a small disagreement erupts into a fight that threatens to end a decade-long marriage. In this 90 minute play, we watch in real time as Ruth and Bo try to get past their disappointments, in life and each other, to answer the question - can you ever really begin again?

Late one night, a small disagreement erupts into a fight that threatens to end a decade-long marriage. In this 90 minute play, we watch in real time as Ruth and Bo try to get past their disappointments, in life and each other, to answer the question - can you ever really begin again?

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Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds

Recommended by

  • John Bavoso: Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds by John Yearley
    “

    Wow. This complex two-hander packs a lot of emotion and questions about life, death, parenthood, regret, marriage, and more into a deceptively small package. And, for a play filled with so much pain and sorrow, there are also so many darkly hilarious lines sprinkled throughout. I can’t even imagine how powerful this would be to watch in person—having just read it, I’m sure I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time.

    Wow. This complex two-hander packs a lot of emotion and questions about life, death, parenthood, regret, marriage, and more into a deceptively small package. And, for a play filled with so much pain and sorrow, there are also so many darkly hilarious lines sprinkled throughout. I can’t even imagine how powerful this would be to watch in person—having just read it, I’m sure I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time.

    ”
  • Drew Frederick Holcombe: Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds by John Yearley
    “

    Sensational. The characters leap off the page and live vibrantly, fully, and viscerally. Precisely-constructed, beautifully shared, and powerful to the core.

    Sensational. The characters leap off the page and live vibrantly, fully, and viscerally. Precisely-constructed, beautifully shared, and powerful to the core.

    ”
  • Donna Stuccio: Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds by John Yearley
    “

    This play is so skillfully crafted that not a moment was wasted. I latched onto the characters immediately and realized bits of them live in all of us. My heart ached for them as their incredibly moving and vibrant and supremely smart dialogue poured from the page. This play is so human, impossible to put down and I felt breathless as I read. I loved the intensity of its focus. These two, Right now. In this moment. Wonderful, beautiful play!

    This play is so skillfully crafted that not a moment was wasted. I latched onto the characters immediately and realized bits of them live in all of us. My heart ached for them as their incredibly moving and vibrant and supremely smart dialogue poured from the page. This play is so human, impossible to put down and I felt breathless as I read. I loved the intensity of its focus. These two, Right now. In this moment. Wonderful, beautiful play!

    ”
View all 9 recommendations

Development History

  • Commission, Blue Coyote Theatre Group, 2013
  • Reading, Blue Coyote Theatre Group, 2013